Flexible packaging is often used as an alternative for rigid canisters due to the benefits of low waste, volume and weight. In most cases the flexible inner container is packed in a rigid outer cover. The flexible container acts as a liner and contains the fluid material, the cover, often made of cardboard, allowing the combination package to be stacked and protects the vulnerable container against damage.
The size and weight of the package, with a volume in the range of 1 up to 30 liter, generally do not allow manipulation of the package, therefore they are often used as a stationary "bulk" reservoir, placed on a rack, shelf or stand, with a device connected to the dispensing portion to allow the fluid material being poured or pumped out in a controlled manner.
In the prior art there are two types of combination packages: ready for use packs and closed packs. The ready for use packs have a neck or pouring opening which is accessible and which is fixed on the outer surface of the cover. These packages are ready for use, no additional handling other than removing the tamper evident closure of the pouring opening is required. The neck, cap or closure is in this case prefixed in the cardboard cover. To avoid the risk of damage during transport and enable stacking, these packages either have to be transported in an additional cardboard cover, or require an additional top, like the Safebox pack.TM., to fill up the empty space between the rigid neck/closure and the cardboard cover in order to create a cubical form. In both cases the space utilization is poor because "dead volume" is created in the additional transport cover. Although the convenience aspect of the ready for use packages can be seen as a benefit, the cost and complexity of production and, after use, separation of the plastic cover from the cardboard cover is a clear disadvantage.
The closed packages have as their dispensing portion a "hidden" neck and closure. These packages show a better space utilization than the ready for use packages as a minimum of empty top space is required. In order to initiate the use of these packages, the cardboard cover needs to be opened first and then the dispensing portion needs to be positioned and fixed in the cardboard cover. Therefore, these closed packs are less convenient for the user.
Apart from the details of the fixation of the dispensing portions, both types of packages have the problem of residue of the fluid material left behind after use when the package is placed horizontally.
The object of the present invention is to provide a container and a combination package including a container and a cover in which these problems are solved in an effective way.
It was surprisingly found that this object could be achieved with the container and combination package of the present invention.